The Missing Person
by awoljacket
Summary: Comission piece for a friend. Miles Tails stumbles into Shadow's detective agency on the lookout for a missing friend. The two opposing personalities learn to work together to complete the job at hand, growing closer through it. [Film noir inspired AU] [Cover art found in the 1951 movie Tomorrow is Another Day]


The sound of rain gently pounding on the windows and roof was the only comfort Shadow had that dark night. He sat at his desk trying to find the motivation to pry his eyes away from the case he had been mulling over for hours. A lost child. He hated to see kids be brought into his job. It was unfair, even to him. But it compelled him to do some of his best work with so much on the line; the rest of the kid's life as well as it's parents… He threw back the rest of his drink and stood up. Draining his body and mind wouldn't do the case any good.

He reached to grab his jacket, draped across the chair, when a knock resonated through the empty office. Shadow let out a low growl and put on his jacket, the sound of leather rubbing together blending well with the rain. This was either a visit from his superior or a customer- neither was someone he wanted to see this late at night.

He took his time walking to the door as the knocks grew louder and more frantic. When the door swung open, he was greeted by the face of a young and rather frightened fox. "Agency's closed," Shadow grumbled, palming the small flask in his jacket. The cool of the metal reminded him of the chill air outside and he was glad he had the contents of the flask to provide at least a little bit of warmth in the night.

The fox stepped forward, pushing Shadow back into his office. "L-listen," he stammered, his voice considerably higher than the hedgehogs, "I know it's late and all but I really need your help, detective!"

Shadow rubbed a gloved hand over his face, taking in a ragged breath. "Listen, kid. Do you think anyone is in trouble of being seriously hurt?"

"Well, no but-"

"Even a little bit hurt?"

"No, but-"

"Then it can wait until tomorrow. We open at eight." With that, Shadow pushed his way past the fox, bumping his shoulder into the other's with a stubborn force.

The door to Shadow's apartment kicked open, slamming it into the wall, the handle fitting in it's usual hole in the wall. He stumbled to the couch and let his hand fall over the side of it, flask firm in his grasp. His eyelids fell as heavy as cinder blocks with the rhythm of the rain lulling him to sleep. His thoughts were still roped thickly around the case he had spent the night prying, he almost felt guilty to fall victim to his fatigue. But he couldn't help but let out a loud yawn and stretch to further sink into his tiny couch.

Suddenly, a loud thump startled Shadow from his rest. Jumping to his feet, his gun immediately taken from its holster and in position. Another thump.. Another… The thumping continued just as steady and determined as the rain. Soon, a muffled moan dripped from the floorboards into Shadow's apartment. He groaned. Of course. Shadow's ex had been living in the apartment above his and he insisted on bringing a new tramp home with him almost every night. Shadow should have been used to the disturbance by now, but he was always wound so tight, he couldn't help but think he was in danger every waking hour.

His thoughts snapped to the young fox that appeared at his office. He looked so frightened, drenched in the fresh rain from outside… Shadow started to wonder if the fox felt the same way. Threatened and alone. He quickly pushed the thought away. What the hell was he doing- thinking about some kid he saw once? He pulled himself to bed, trying to drown out the stubborn sounds of his past that came through the ceiling.

The next day, the fox was before the door to his office before he had even opened it. Even he appeared to be freshly glowing like the rest of the city after the rain. "You said you would be here at eight," he recited with a hint of disappointment lacing his voice.

"I said _we opened_ at eight. I never said I would be here," Shadow said as he fumbled with his keys to unlock the door. He stood there and gestured for the fox to enter and seat himself at the chair in front of his desk. Shadow also took a seat and pulled out a cigarette. As he did, the fox grabbed the lighter from his desk and leaned forward to light it. Shadow was taken aback by this gesture, this didn't look like the kind to smoke. It was an act of intimacy to Shadow- one shared between breathy flirtations. He leaned back and took a long drag. "What is it I can help you with, um..?"

"Miles. Miles Tails."

Shadow jotted this down on the notepad waiting for him on his desk and nodded. "Fitting…"

"I'm here on, um, missing persons…" Tails seemed somewhat embarrassed to state this which piqued Shadow's interest.

He nodded. "Where was the place you saw this person?"

"Um… My apartment." With every answer the fox looked a little more shameful.

"When was the last time you saw this person? Can you describe it?"

Miles shifted uncomfortably in the hard wooden chair, his fingers pulling at anything he could reach out of nervousness. "We were.." his eyes looked around the agency and Shadow leaned forward, taking the cigarette out of his mouth, drawing a wispy veil between the two.

"If you have anything that could help this case- anything at all, Miles-" he felt drawn to use the fox's first name, despite having never seen him before he came to the agency, "I would really appreciate the ques."

"Well, we were at my house and the door was open and he was gone…"

"Name?"

"O-of me..?"

"No-" Shadow paused to rub at his eyes in annoyance, "of the missing person."

"O-oh! Blitz.."

"Last name?"

"Blitz.. Miller."

"German?"

"Yessir."

Shadow nodded. "Can you describe to me what mister Miller looks like?"

"Um.. Very short. Lots of curly brown hair.. Brown eyes…"

"Any identifiable tattoos or scaring?"

"Oh, no sir. He's very clean cut."

Shadow leaned back in his hair, his attention snagged on the case files under his notepad from the night before. He figured this case should be easy- it didn't seem like there was much meat to it- and then he could get back to the cases that really matter. "Well, would you mind coming with me to search your apartment for any evidence of break in.. or where mister Miller may have gone."

Miles nodded and stood up, pulling his jacket closer to him as he started making his way to the door out of the agency.

The drive to Miles' house was very uneventful. Shadow asked him questions about his missing person and about the incident when they had last seen each other, going over his basic protocol. When the conversation had puttered out, Miles reached for the radio in Shadow's car and asked if he minded if he were to play some music. Shadow waved his hand in dismissal, letting the fox do whatever he felt was right, and listened as Miles gently hummed the tones of whatever ditties came on. He even seemed to know some of the radio stations jingles, which impressed him.

When Shadow eventually pulled up to Miles' house, he was so taken aback he asked if he really had the right place. It was a very large, spacious place that stood out drastically compared to the tenements and apartments of the rest of the cities slums. Shadow felt incredibly out of place in the neighborhood, let alone Miles' house and hardly knew how to act. Most of the people who came to him were hurting for money and found themselves mixed up in situations that did not make it difficult to believe someone would go missing in. His business wasn't nearly big enough to start attracting the attention of the rich yet.

The investigation inside the home did him almost no good. Shadow found no real evidence of where this Miller character could have slinked off to and Miles only gave him vague answers that didn't seem to help him at all. From what Shadow could tell, Miller was a pretty clean cut guy and there was nothing that could really pull him away from his home or close relations.

Shadow leaned against a doorway facing the fox. "Is there any place mister Miller would disappear off to often? Even once. Or any place he expressed he would ever _like_ to go if he could? A sort of hint maybe?"

Miles shoved his hands in his trouser pockets and pulled his mouth to the side, looking to the floor as he thought. "Well he did really like the docks. They're not too far from here- he could have gone down there and found himself lost…"

Shadow let a smile go. A crack in the case- although vague it was something that got him out of the stalemate, drawing him one step closer to his more important cases. "Why don't you and me take a little walk down there, hm?"

During the walk, the two didn't have much to talk about, but Miles tried his best to keep up polite conversation. It bored Shadow, but he could feel the younger fox growing on him, the difference between him and the rest of his usual clientele was nice and refreshing. He thought he might not even really mind having him around for a little longer…

Then suddenly the conversation grew to a sudden halt as Tails went silent and stared down an alleyway. Shadow drew back, a little concerned. "Is there a problem, Miles?"

Miles quickly glanced at Shadow before he looked back down the alley and said, "I'm sorry, detective I have to go this insint. I'll meet back up with you!" he called over his shoulder, already taking off down the alleyway.

Shadow felt compelled to follow the fox down the alley at a run, but he ruled it out deciding that Miles didn't seem in any direct trouble. But for the sake of his case and getting paid, he followed him at a brisk walk, rounding the corner cautiously. Before he could fall out of range, he heard Tails call out a joyful "Brisk!" which caused him to break into a light run to catch up with him, following the echoes bouncing off of the walls of the alleyways. When he found Miles, he was on his knees in the alley, a small dog wrapped in his arms, licking at his face and barking happily. Tails was laughing and gently calling "Brisk! It's okay boy I've got you!"

Shadow's jaw hung ajar, his weight transferred onto one foot and jabbed a hand towards the fox and his dog. " _This_ is your 'Brisk Miller' character? The one we've been working _tirelessly_ to find?"

Tails stood up, pulling the small dog in his arms with him and brushed the curly brown hair sticking to him off of his coat. "I'm sorry, detective! I was just so worried about my dog…" He shuffled nervously, casting his eyes to the ground again. "And I really was starting to enjoy your company. And I was worried you wouldn't take the case if you knew it was about my missing pup-"

"You're damn right I wouldn't!" Shadow interjected.

Tails sighed and stepped closer to Shadow, looking up at him with wide, sparkling brown eyes. For a moment, he was amazed at how they appeared to him like how light looks when it shines through a bottle of whisky. "Come on, detective, I'll buy you a cup of coffee or something- make it up to you…?"

Shadow pulled his mouth to the side, avoiding looking at the fox's eyes. "How about a stiff drink?" He scoffed.

A nervous smile creeped onto Tails' face as he reached into his pocket and returned it in a fist. He put it in Shadow's and when it left, he saw a small round chip in its place. "I'm a recovering alcoholic," Miles announced.

Shadow felt a gripping sense of shame, but suddenly felt more compelled to know more about this fox. He let himself slowly nod. "I think I'd like that, Miles."


End file.
